Creamy Kabocha Squash Pasta With Sausage

The arrival of fall brings with it a bounty of cold weather ingredients to the marketplace, including a variety of winter squash, and a good selection of greens. I was so happy to find Kabocha squash at our local outdoor market in Deruta, that I bought three of them. I love all winter squash, but particularly like Kabocha squash because it has dense, not too watery flesh, and a very subtle sweetness that allows you to use it in both sweet and savory dishes. In place of the Kabocha squash, you could also use butternut squash or a cooking pumpkin.

I had used up most of my squash before we left Umbria, and had just a half of one remaining. I decided to make a creamy pasta dish. I added some crumbled Italian sausage to create a hearty meal, along with mascarpone cheese instead of heavy cream. Mascarpone adds a richness to pasta sauces that I find particularly satisfying, and I knew it would bring the squash and sausage together.